Ministry Metaphor

This is a piece I wrote that appears in the February 2014 edition of The Advocate, the United Methodist Newspaper for the SC Conference. I waited to post it until the paper came out last week.

So I've been working on this metaphor for ministry in my mind.  I'm not just talking about professional ministry, like the paid clergy kind, but just ministry in general, the idea of working with a group of people toward a desired goal that is assumed to be what God would have us to do to further the kingdom of God in the world around us.  So here goes:

Ministry is like riding a unicycle on a tight rope while juggling and being poked in the back.

So now for the explanation.  First, ministry is always about balance, so much so that it is like riding a unicycle, which would be hard enough, but also on a tight rope.  We are so apt to fall to either side.  We can be so one sided or other.  This is vague for a reason.  Sometimes we are so focused that we leave out something that in and of itself is a good and desirable thing.  We can be so focused on reaching outward, that we leave the very people whom we are working with on the inside.  And yes, I am intentional about saying 'inside' and 'outside'.  The desirable goal will always be to open God's love and make it available to all, but everyone falls short in this endeavor, therefore we have insiders and outsiders.  We can become so focused on the social element of ministry that we lose focus on the personal piety.  We can become so focused on quantitative growth that we leave qualitative growth hanging out in the wind.  The result would be losing our balance.  This is hard.  All life is a balance. Unicycle. Tight rope.

I've never been very good at actually juggling, but when it comes to working with people, it is crucial.  There are so many personalities that one has to deal with it can almost dizzying.  Needs, perceived needs, real needs, wants, desires, dreams, hopes, goals, visions...feeling sick yet? I do. And often.  Keeping all the balls, or knives, or flaming torches in the air can be and often is exhausting.  There will always be the thought of 'you can't please everybody', which is true.  But I also stand by the idea that there is a common good that will limit the collateral damage.  This is where juggling comes in handy.  To be good at this, you have to anticipate the needs before they arrive, but also realized not all needs are real nor necessary.

And if these things aren't hard enough to do, add in the challenge of having someone poke you in the back.  When doing ministry, this can be one of the most challenging elements.  This is where we have to deal with the past when it comes to ministry. Disclaimer: we can always learn from the past. But let's be honest, the past is something we are always struggling with. This occurs in a couple of different ways.  Some come from a place of success and trying to replicate said success haunts us, with the fear of never being able to measure up again.  I've long believed that the fear of success is just as real, if not more so, than the fear of failure.  Others deal with pain and hurts in their past and the thought of another disappointment is just too much for us to bear. Then the famous line that I have never heard said, but I'm sure people have thought, "We've never done it that way before."

And keep in mind, all of this while attempting to advance in a significant way, looking forward, to a desired goal or destination. And we wonder why things move slowly in the church, if at all at times. 

Now for the hope or at least an idea to start moving in the right direction. I'm reminded of the old question, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." So start small. Surrounding yourself with people who can handle the task at hand.  Each person on the team doesn't have to be multi-faceted able to do everything. Instead, find people who can juggle, find people who can ride a unicycle, find a tight rope walker, and for Heaven's sake, figure out who is poking you with the stick and teach them how to use as a tool to help with balance. Keep your eyes up looking forward.  And know that no matter what happens, you've got a safety net. His name is Jesus. And he's already done the hard stuff. So give it a shot and have some fun.